EAB Found in Kasson

St Paul, MN (KROC AM News) - Dodge County has joined the list of counties in southeast Minnesota to be affected by the emerald ash borer.

The Minnesota Department of Agriculture says an EAB infested tree was recently found in Kasson. After the discovery was made, the department placed all of Dodge County under an emergency quarantine to limit the movement of firewood and ash material.

Infestations were found earlier in Rochester and in Fillmore, Houston and Wabasha counties.

This new infestation raises to twelve the number of counties that are under quarantine, along with Park Point in the city of Duluth.

The biggest risk of spreading EAB comes from people unknowingly moving firewood or other ash products harboring larvae. There are three easy steps Minnesotans can take to keep EAB from spreading:Don’t transport firewood. Buy firewood locally from approved vendors, and burn it where you buy it;

Be aware of the quarantine restrictions. If you live in a quarantined county, be aware of the restrictions on movement of products such as ash trees, wood chips, and firewood; and,

Watch your ash trees for infestation. If you think your ash tree is infested, go to www.mda.state.mn.us/eab and use the “Do I Have Emerald Ash Borer?” guide.Emerald ash borer larvae kill ash trees by tunneling under the bark and feeding on the part of the tree that moves nutrients up and down the trunk. Since its accidental introduction into North America, EAB has killed tens of millions of ash trees in 24 states. The invasive insect was first discovered in Minnesota in 2009.Minnesota is highly susceptible to the destruction caused by EAB. The state has approximately one billion ash trees, the most of any state in the nation.